Improvement in the construction of ships



l. C. BROWNE.

Construction of Ships, &c. No 154 579 Patented Sept.1,1874.

il Z'fnesses:

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrron.

JOHN GOLLIS BROVVNE, OF HAMPTON VVIGK, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,579, dated September 1, 1874; application filul June 1, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN OoLLrs BROWNE, of Hampton Wick, Middlesex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction and Form of Ships and like vessels, of which the following is a specifieation:

My invention has for its object the construction of the hulls of vessels in such manner that less resistance shall be offered to their passage through the water, better flotative properties and greater steadiness of motion secured; and it consists in a prolonged prow of approximately-conical form, but of a pear or inverted heart shape in cross-section, its under side being flat and its upper side inclining upward and backward, by means of which less resist ance is ofi'ered to the vessels progress. It consists, also, in so constructing the hull that the point of greatest buoyancy is immediately at or near the bow, and in rear of the prow, while the hull diminishes acutely in depth from this point toward the stern, so as to cause the prow to be raised entirely, or almost entirely, out of the water, while the stern is deeply submerged and the bottom and keel are presented very obliquely to the water, in consequence of which a great decrease in the resistance to the vessels motion results.

The invention will be clearly understood by referring to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the vessel; and Fig. 2 a transverse section, on line as a: of Fig. 1, of the rounded projecting prow or cut-water. The remaining figures will be hereafter referred to.

The frame ribs at the bows are carried down the sides to the keelson, to which they are secured, so that the skin plating or sheathing is made flush, and in a line, or nearly so, with the keel, which, preferably, springs from about the fore part of the bilge to the stern. The extreme fore part of the vessel is pointed or provided with a rounded prow, G, which projects a considerable distance in front of the bow, and is, so to speak, lifted at the fore point to the load water-line, so that very little of it is submerged, and so that the vessel passes through the water without receiving much resistance therefrom or causing eddies or waves. From the point the prow gradually widens out in a pear or inverted heart-shaped form, and from B to O the bottom is flattish for sitting well upon or in the water. The hulls are so shaped or run up toward the stern from the bow, at C, to the stern, at D, that the point of greatest buoyancy is situated immediately at or near the bow, and in rear of the prow, so that the stern will be deeply submerged while the prow will be elevated, as shown in Fig. 1, and thus the waterline, when the vessel is afloat, would be from the tip of the prow at the fore end to a short distance from the rail at the stern. By this means no part, or very little, of the prow is submerged to offer any impediment to the vessels progress; and the keel and bottom or the vessel, being thus presented acutely oblique to the water, the wed gin g action, which takes place while the vessel is in motion, tends to raise it out of the water, so that it becomes less submerged, and thus decreases the resistance to a further extent. The after part of the vessel being provided with a deep keel, E, and the fore part being broad and flat, greater steadiness of motion is thereby secured.

Fig. 3 represents a vessel with a prolonged prow, as just explained, and with the after part similarly shaped, with the exception that the rudder-post, forming part of the deep keel, is carried beyond for the rudder to be attached. In this view the keel runs more to the front than in Fig. 1. Otherwise the fore part of the vessel is the same. In this construction of vessel, if she be a masted one, the fore mast is fitted nearer the bow than is usual to enable the action of the wind upon the sails to produce great speed. The bow of the vessel is slightly hollowed or formed concay e at F to turn outward or downward any waves or water that may run up the prow. By this means headwaves are prevented breaking over the decks, and are more effectually resisted and dissipated. I

Fig. 4 shows a similarlyshaped vessel with a keel starting from the front part of the fore foot, the shape of the prow in transverse section being the same as in Fig. 2, with the exception of the keel, to which the ribs are bolted or riveted direct, as in Fig. 5.

Fig.6 represents a perspective view of a row-boat with a projecting prow, as before de scribed.

- thrown much farther back.

I claim as my invention 1. A vessels hull constructed with a prolonged cone-shaped prow, G, of inverted heartshape in crosssection, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. A vessels hull provided with an elevated cone-shaped prow, and so formed that the point of greatest buoyancy is at the rear of the prow, and the bottom of the vessel is inclined up ward from this point toward the stern.

JOHN GOLLIS BROVVNE.

Witnesses:

H. GARDNER, E. M. DANIEL,

166 Fleet St, London. 

